Juncker hopes for EU-Britain Brexit deal in November

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Friday he was fully focused on making Brexit negotiations a success. “Negotiations are not easy because we also have to be critical that we receive different signals from London,” Juncker said, addressing the Austrian parliament. “There is a polyphonic chorus at the level of the British cabinet and we try to arrange the pieces… so that they become a melody,” he said. Juncker added that he hoped the European Council later this month would make “enough progress” that “we can see it through in November.” The European Union’s Brexit negotiators see a divorce deal with Britain as “very close,” diplomatic sources told Reuters. They signaled that a compromise might be in the making on, the most contentious issue, the future of the Irish border. The EU and Britain are trying to push the divorce deal, as well as an agreement on post-Brexit relations, through in time for two leaders’ summits, scheduled for October 17-18 and November 17-18.